The Dragon Inside
by hurpity
Summary: We all know that Kenshin is haunted by his past and that the manslayer he once was enjoyed the smell of fresh blood... But what is to come of the gentle wanderer when he himself starts to have a thirst for it?


**Authors Notes:** My first Rurouni Kenshin fanfic, go easy on me. Will probably have alot of OOC moments and OTT things happen to the characters. If you're more of a Sanosuke fan than a Kenshin one, don't worry, he will have a good role in this. I like him, if not more, but equally as much as I do Kenshin. There will be slight Yaoi, just thoughts in the back of certains character's heads that point more to confusion, being almost like brothers and being best of friends than wanting to sleep with each other... u.u Although I have no problem with Yaoi like that, I strongly believe a writer needs a proper explaination for the character's behavior. Therefore I avoid going too far with such things to keep it realistic and on the actual subject my fanfic's meant to be about. o.0;; Anyway.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of it's characters, however as many fangirl writers have said before, we all probably would like to... If I introduce a character of my own, I will make it clear in the disclaimer for the chapter(s) they appear in.

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It had been a long night. Each night that week had been a long one. Images and distorted sounds awakening his senses the moment he closed his eyes, and leaving just as fast and surreally as they had come. They wouldn't leave. They wanted him to be hurt, to feel pain for what he had done. Surely he felt this pain enough already, surely they would prefer to rest by now? But... They had rested. They came back now after so long. Just to haunt him. To haunt him back to the madness that had killed them? No. They couldn't want that. What was it they wanted? He closed his eyes, they were there, waiting for him as they had been before. He quickly opened his sore eyes again, pulling back from what seemed like another reality and feeling like he was being thrown up high the moment he came back.  
Perhaps... Perhaps he should go there and ask, see what they want. Face them. Stay strong. So he tried, closing his eyes and inviting the sudden falling feeling deep into his stomach and mind. He could almost feel the sinking force bring what he had eaten for dinner that night up the inside of his throat. He felt himself swallow and stand up straight and tall. He felt so small... Weak even. No matter how hard he tried to stand strong.  
The eyes of the figures all stared hollowly at him. Every noise they had made before, all their restless chatter, had stopped. There was complete silence, then the sound of a gentle breeze across the dying landscape. The wind stopped and there was silence again, but in the back of his ear, he could swear he could hear the sound of a sword. The sound of cold steel. He felt something in his hands and looked down. He was holding a sword, not any old sword. A reverse blade sword. Flipped over. Coated in a thick layer of deep red blood. There were faint, distorted screams and he looked up to see the figures all slicing open before him, becoming fountains of fast flowing blood.  
He felt a sudden tug at his heart, was it guilt? No... Desire. Lust. Without thinking he ran forwards, dropped the sword to the ground, cupped his hands and filled them with the red liquid. He stared, thinking of what he wanted to do. He raised his cupped hands until they were level with his chest, then splashed his face with the blood. Savoring the sweet, sickening smell that filled his nostrils, licking his lips without a thought, tasting what had to be real... But if it was... What was he doing? No... This couldn't be real. It seems so... But... It can't.  
"Kenshin! Hey Kenshin!" A masculine voice yelled, he recognised it immediately, a smile forming on his face as he thought over the words in his head.  
"It was only... A nightmare." He thought outloud, opening his eyes to see the face of one of his good friends and the beautiful painting hung on the wall of his room. It had only been a nightmare. His mind playing with him. He was no longer Hitokiri Battousai.  
"I am Rurouni Kenshin..." He said to himself in a whisper, smiling at the sound of the birds outside, welcoming him back home to reality.


End file.
